What to expect when expecting a ballot in Summit County

Related Media

For many Summit County residents, election mail is starting to fill up the post office box. But in among the many campaign mailers and political advertisements are important election documents sent out by the state, one of which, for many voters, will be a ballot. Whether by mail or in person, Summit County voters will receive almost identical ballots this year, and the presidential election is only one of 12 different races and three or four questions that will appear on them. Local voters will cast votes for the next occupant of the Oval Office - with a total of 16 candidates and the option of write-ins - as well as the 2nd Congressional District, state board of education, University of Colorado Board of Regents, state Senate District 8, state House District 61, 5th Judicial District Attorney and Summit County commissioner races. The names of six Court of Appeals judges and one county judge - Edward Casias - will also appear on local ballots to be retained by voters. Although Summit County commissioners represent specific districts - Democrat Karn Stiegelmeier and Republican Kevin Mastin are facing off for District 3, while incumbent Democrat Thomas Davidson is unchallenged for District 2 - they are elected at-large. All voters in the county will have the opportunity to cast a ballot for both of the races. Summit County voters living within the boundaries of the Lake Dillon Fire Protection District will also see a local ballot question requesting a .75-mill levy increase. The measure would increase property taxes for district residents by just under $6 per $100,000, generating $555,605 for the department. All Summit County voters will see three statewide questions on the ballot as well, proposing new amendments to the state constitution. Amendment S revises the rules for the hiring and management of state employees, which have not been updated for 40 years. Proponents say there is no tax-payer expense associated with the measure. Amendment 64 would legalize the possession and consumption of limited amounts of marijuana for individuals over the age of 21 and permit the licensing of cultivation, product manufacturing and retail facilities for marijuana products. If approved, Amendment 65 would instruct Colorado lawmakers to support a federal constitutional amendment limiting campaign contributions and spending. Before the ballots arrive, local and state election agencies are sending out voter information. Many voters are receiving voter information cards, white postcards stamped 'Official Election Mail' that allow them to update basic contact information with the local election officials. "If they've had any changes or they want to become a mail-in voter, they can fill out the back of the card and return it to us so we can make up their correct information," Summit County Clerk and Recorder Kathy Neel said.The sooner the cards, sealed in a separate envelope to protect sensitive information, are returned to the clerk's office with updated information, the better, Neel said. The Secretary of State's office also recently mailed a blue ballot book to local registered voters containing information on the state ballot questions. Those who have not yet received the voter information card or blue ballot book, may not be listed as active voters, may have incorrect information on file or may not be registered to vote. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 9. Ballots, whether mailed or submitted at early voting or Election Day polling places, must be cast by 7 p.m. on Nov. 6. Mail ballots need to be received by the Summit County Clerk and Recorder's Office by mail or in-person no later than that date and time as well. Mail ballots will be sent out to eligible voters by Oct. 15 and should arrive later the same week. "If (voters) don't get them within seven days, I would definitely give us a call," Neel said. "Then we can hopefully figure out what happened to it and make arrangements to get them another one."

Oct. 9: Last day to register to vote > Oct. 15: Mail ballots sent out > Nov. 6: Election Day, mail ballots due > To register, activate voter status, get or update voter info and more go to GoVoteColorado.com.

Ballot Style 2 Lake Dillon Fire - Precincts 6-LDF through 17 LDF and 19-LDF & 20-LDFBeginning directly below is the order of the offices to be on the ballot for Nov. 6, 2012. Please fill in your county name.GENERAL ELECTIONSUMMIT_COUNTY, COLORADONOVEMBER 6, 2012 The following are the offices to appear on the ballot. Please fill in the Districts as well as any other races that may need to appear on your ballots. Please indicate the order of the candidate's names as they are to appear on the ballot by placing a number in the parenthesis ( ) for each candidate.1. List names in the order that they should appear on the ballot.2. Print or type all names and check spelling carefully.3. Cross or XXX out those offices that will not appear on your ballot.4. Insert in the proper position any office which is to appear on your ballot that is not shown on this form.PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS(Vote for One Pair)(01)Virgil H. Goode Jr. / Jim ClymerAmerican Constitution(02)Barack Obama / Joe BidenDemocratic(03)Mitt Romney / Paul RyanRepublican(04)Gary Johnson / James P. GrayLibertarian(05)Jill Stein / Cheri HonkalaGreen(06)Stewart Alexander / Alex MendozaSocialist, USA(07)Ross C. "Rocky" Anderson / Luis J. RodriguezJustice(08)Roseanne Barr / Cindy Lee SheehanPeace and Freedom(09)James Harris / Alyson KennedySocialist Workers(10)Tom Hoefling / Jonathan D. EllisAmerica's(11)Gloria La Riva / Filberto Ramirez Jr.Socialism and Liberation(12)Merlin Miller / Harry V. BertramAmerican Third Position(13)Jill Reed / Tom CaryUnaffiliated(14)Thomas Robert Stevens / Alden LinkObjectivist(15)Sheila "Samm" Tittle / Matthew A. TurnerWe the People(16)Jerry White / Phyllis ScherrerSocialist Equality(17)Write-In___________________________________________________________________________REPRESENTATIVE TO THE 113TH UNITED STATES CONGRESS - DISTRICT 2(Vote for One) (01)Kevin LundbergRepublican(02)Jared PolisDemocratic(03)Randy LuallinLibertarian(04)Susan P. HallGreenSTATE BOARD OF EDUCATION - CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 2(Vote for One)(01)Angelika SchroederDemocratic(02)Ann FattorRepublican(03)David G. CottrellLibertarianREGENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO - AT LARGE(Vote for One)(01)Stephen C. LudwigDemocratic(02)Tyler BelmontAmerican Constitution(03)Brian DavidsonRepublican(04)Daniel OngLibertarian___________________________________________________________________________STATE SENATE - DISTRICT 8(Vote for One)(01)Emily TracyDemocratic(02)Randy L. BaumgardnerRepublican(03)Sacha L. WeisLibertarianSTATE REPRESENTATIVE - DISTRICT 61(Vote for One)(01)Robert E. PetrowskyAmerican Constitution(02)Debra IrvineRepublican(03)Millie HamnerDemocratic(04)Ellen TembyLibertarian(05)Kathleen CurryUnaffiliatedDISTRICT ATTORNEY - 5TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT(Vote for One)(01)Scott W. TurnerRepublican(02)Bruce BrownDemocratic___________________________________________________________________________COUNTY COMMISSIONER - DISTRICT 2(Vote for One)( 1 ) Thomas Davidson Democratic___________________________________________________________________________COUNTY COMMISSIONER - DISTRICT 3( 1)Kevin MastinRepublican (2 )Karn Stiegelmeier Democratic _________________________________________________________________________________JUSTICE OF THE COLORADO SUPREME COURT(Vote Yes or No)(01)Shall Justice Nathan B. Coats of the Colorado Supreme Court be retained in office?COURT OF APPEALS(Vote Yes or No)(01)Shall Judge Laurie A. Booras of the Colorado Court of Appeals be retained in office?(02)Shall Judge James S. Casebolt of the Colorado Court of Appeals be retained in office?(03)Shall Judge Dennis A. Graham of the Colorado Court of Appeals be retained in office?(04)Shall Judge Gale T. Miller of the Colorado Court of Appeals be retained in office?(05)Shall Judge Daniel Marc Taubman of the Colorado Court of Appeals be retained in office?(06)Shall Judge John R. Webb of the Colorado Court of Appeals be retained in office?COUNTY JUDGE, SUMMIT(Vote Yes or No)(01)Shall Judge Edward Jude Casias of the Summit County Court be retained in office?Ballot questions referred by the general assembly or any political subdivision are listed by letter, and ballot questions initiated by the people are listed numerically. A ballot question listed as an "amendment" proposes a change to the Colorado constitution, and a ballot question listed as a "proposition" proposes a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes. A "yes" vote on any ballot question is a vote in favor of changing current law or existing circumstances, and a "no" vote on any ballot question is a vote against changing current law or existing circumstances.Amendment S (CONSTITUTIONAL)(Vote Yes or No)Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning the state personnel system, and, in connection therewith, expanding the veterans' preference; increasing the number of candidates eligible to be appointed to a position; adjusting the duration of allowable temporary employment; allowing the flexibility to remove a limited number of positions from the system; modifying the residency requirements; adjusting the terms of service for members of the state personnel board; and requiring merit-based appointments to be made through a comparative analysis process?Amendment 64 (CONSTITUTIONAL)(Vote Yes or No)Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning marijuana, and, in connection therewith, providing for the regulation of marijuana; permitting a person twenty-one years of age or older to consume or possess limited amounts of marijuana; providing for the licensing of cultivation facilities, product manufacturing facilities, testing facilities, and retail stores; permitting local governments to regulate or prohibit such facilities; requiring the general assembly to enact an excise tax to be levied upon wholesale sales of marijuana; requiring that the first $40 million in revenue raised annually by such tax be credited to the public school capital construction assistance fund; and requiring the general assembly to enact legislation governing the cultivation, processing, and sale of industrial hemp?Amendment 65 (CONSTITUTIONAL)(Vote Yes or No)Shall there be amendments to the Colorado constitution and the Colorado revised statutes concerning support by Colorado's legislative representatives for a federal constitutional amendment to limit campaign contributions and spending, and, in connection therewith, instructing Colorado's congressional delegation to propose and support, and the members of Colorado's state legislature to ratify, an amendment to the United States constitution that allows congress and the states to limit campaign contributions and spending?LAKE DILLON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT REFERRED QUESTION 5A (Vote Yes or No)SHALL THE LAKE DILLON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT TAXES BE INCREASED $ 555,605 ANNUALLY (ESTIMATED REVENUES IN THE YEAR 2013) AND BY WHATEVER ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS ARE RECEIVED ANNUALLY THEREAFTER FROM THE LEVY OF AN ADDITIONAL PROPERTY TAX AT A RATE NOT TO EXCEED 0.741 MILLS, EXCLUSIVE OF REFUNDS, ABATEMENTS, OR DEBT SERVICE, WITH A TOTAL TAX RATE NOT TO EXCEED 9 MILLS, THE PROCEEDS OF WHICH SHALL BE USED TO FUND FIRE, WILDFIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE OPERATIONS, FIRE PREVENTION, AND CAPITAL EXPENSES OF THE DISTRICT; AND SHALL THE DISTRICT BE PERMITTED TO COLLECT, RETAIN AND SPEND SUCH TAXES AND INCOME THEREON AS A VOTER APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE AND PROPERTY TAX REVENUE CHANGE UNDER ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION AND TO EXCEED THE 5.5% PROPERTY TAX REVENUE LIMITATION CONTAINED IN SECTION 29-1-301, COLORADO REVISED STATUTES AND ANY OTHER REVENUE LIMITATION CONTAINED IN THE LAWS OF THE STATE